Adjustable chair



No. 617,638. Patented m. in, I899. v B. E. CARTER.

' ADJUSTABLE cum.

(Application mu m. a, 1am} 2 Sheen-Shoot l.

(m maul.)

IN VE N TOR A TTOHNE Y8.

Patented lgn. IO, I899.

- D. E. CART-EB;

' ADJUSTABLE CHAIR. (A umm filed Feb. 5, was. (No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Shoat 2.

11v VENTOI? i A TTOHNEYS.

' drawn onan enlarged scale. L

UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

Dan E, em'rnn, on TRAVERSE CITY,MIC1IGA1\'.

ADJUSTABLE CHAIR.

srncincu'no'n forming part of Letters Patent No. 617,638, dated January 10, 1899.

Application filed February 5, 1898. Serial No. 669,226. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, DAN E. CARTER, of Tra verse City, in the county of Grand Traverse and State of Michigan, have inven ted a new and Improved Adjustable Chair, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. v

The object of my invention is to provide a chair of simple, durable, and economic con? struction, which is capable of use as a lawnchair, a reclining-chair, or an invalids chair,

' and which may also be converted intoa couch,

when desired, or employed as a stretcher.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the chair that the back, seat, and direct support for the lower limbs of the person occupying the chair may be made of canvas or a similar material, and whereby the canvas or fabric employed may be'placed' under any desired or necessary tension in a convenient and expeditious manner.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding partsin all the figures.

Figurel is a perspective view of the chair arranged for use in the ordinary manner. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the improved chair, the fabric forming the back and seat being shown as disengaged from the back of the frame, the said Fig. 2 likewise illustratin g the manner in which the pliable back may be attached to the rigid back portion of the chair. chair, illustrating the application of a table thereto; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the chair, illustrating it used for reclining purposes. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the chair adapted for use as acouch. Fig. 6 iso sectional view of the upper portion of the baclof the chair, drawn on an enlarged scale and illustrating the tension-device for the flexible back and seat of the chair. Fig.7 is

:a vertical sectionon the line 7 7 of Fig. 6, and

Fig. 8 is a sectional'vi'ew through the-stationary frame of the chair and through a portion of the adj ustable frame, Fig. 8 being likewise Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the" or stationary frame A and a movable or adjustable frame B. The fixed frame A preferably comprises two sides suitably connected, each side consisting of a front upright 10, a downwardly and rearwardl'y inclined rear member ll a top'bar 12, connecting the front and the rear members, rungs 13, which illuswise serve to connect the front and rear meniberof each side piece, forward rungs 14:, connecting the uprights 10 of the two sides, and rear rungs 14", which connect the rear members of the two sides, as illustrated in the.

tween the center of the side pieces and their a lower ends. Suitable rungs connect the side pieces of the back portion of the adjustable The chair may be said to comprise a fixed frame at the top and at the bottom and a connccting-bar 17 is vpivotally attached to each side piece 15 of the back of the chair at the bottom of the said side pieces, the forward ends of the connecting-rods 17 being pivotally attached to the side bars 18 of the footrest 0. The side bars of the foot-rest are pivoted by means of straps 19 on the upper rung 14, connecting the uprights 10 01 the sides of the stationary frame-A, as is particulariy shown in Fig. 8. Rungs 20 connect the side pieces 18 of the foot-rest at the bottom or outer end, and at or nearthe center of the ,side pieces of the foot-rest a removable rod is detachably passed through the said side pieces, being held in position byset screws 20?" or their equivalents.

At theupper end of one side bar 15 of the 1 back of the chair an aperture 21 is made, and in the top of the opposing sidebar of the back a slot 22 is vertically produced. .A drum or a roller 23 is adapted to turn between the upper portions of the side pieces 'of the back of the chair. This drum or roller, which vided with trunnions 24, one of which enters is shown particularly in Figs. 6 and 7, is'pro- 5 which the foot-rest is pivoted.

a dovetail groove 25 is prod uced,as best shown in Fig 7. At one end of the rollera disk 26 is secured or formed, the said disk being provided with a series of peripheral recesses 27, 5 any one of which may be made to receive a pin 28, projected from the inner face of the adjacent side bar 1'5 of the back of the chair, as shown in both Figs. 6 and 7.

The seat of the chair, the covering for the to back, and the covering for the foot-rest are preferably made from asingle piece of fabric I 29, the said fabric being provided with a hem 31 at its upper end and a hem 32 at its lower end, the upper end of the combined seat and back covering of the chair being attaehedto the roller 23 and the lowerend to the rem ovable rod and thesaid'strip of fabric 29 is capable of being turned end for end, if desired, and can be readily removed from the adjust- 2o able frame of the chair to be'washeder replaced. The strip of fabric 29 is applied to the movable frame of the chair by passing a rod 30 through the upper hem and carrying said rod through the wider portion of the 25 dovetail groove 25. The removable rod 20 in the foot-rest is'then carried through-the lower hem and placed in position in the footpieee, being'secured' by means of the set- U screws 20". I 3o Whenever it is desirableto place the yielding seat-and back of the chair under tension, the roller 23 is lifted out from its seat'in the back and turned, winding the fabricEZQ thereon, as shown in Fig. 7, until sufficient fabric I has been taken up, whereupon the roller is again replaced in the back of the adjustable jframe, the most convenient recess 27 being made to receive the pin 28, holding the roller stationary. V V

The improved chair may be used as an ordinary chair, occupying'the position shown in Fig. 1, or the parts of the chair maybe placed in such position that a person may comfortably recline thereon, as shown in Fig.

5 4, the foot-rest at that time having a slight downward and forward inclination, while the back section of the chair will havean upward and rearward inclination.

When the chair is to be used as a couch-0ras a stretcher, the parts are placed in the position shown n Fig. 5, the back being carried downward as far as possible, forcing the connecting-bars 17 to their extreme'forward position and against the. rung below that to The foot-rest will thenoccupy an upwardly-inclined position, and it is evident that under such a disposition of parts the greater the weight sustained by the fabric 29 extending from the back to the foot-rest. the greatorwill be the tendency to hold the chairin the position desired, and if the chair lie lifted laypersons grasping the'forward end of the foot-rest-and the rear end of the-hack a person lying on the fabric 29' may be carried safely and comfortably to auydcsired point..

Then the parts of the chair are in the position shown in Fig. 5, they will form a comfortable couch, and when the chair is to be adjusted to other positions it is simply neces- 7o sary to press the forward end of the foot-rest downward so as to disturb the locking position of the counectingbars 17, and by forcing the rear ends of the said connecting-bars rearward adjust the back to an upright position or a position at the desired angle to the rear of the stationary frame A of the chair.

In Fig. 3 I have illustrated theapplieation of a board to the chair, forming a table D, the said board or table resting upon the top parts of the stationary frame A. Such a table may be conveniently used by an invalid occupyiiig the chair, or as a sewingor cutting table or a reading table'or desk. The chair is held in an adjusted position, especially in the position for ordinary use, by a leaf-spring 33, attached to the fixed orstationary frame and engaging with one of the connecting-bars 17. (See Fig. 8.).

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire'to secure by Letters Patent 1. In an adjustable chair, the combination, with a stationary frame and an adjustable frame, the adjustable frame comprising a 5 back portion pivoted at the rear of the stationary frame, a foot-rest pivoted at the front per-- tion of the stationary frame, and a link con nection between the lower end of the back portion of the ad justahle frame and the foot-rest, of a roller journaled at the upper-end of the hack portion of the adjustable frame, the said roller being provided with a dovetail slot and a recessed disk, a projection from the back portion of the adjustable frame, arranged to enter. a recess in the disk of the roller, and a flexible strip constituting the direct support for the body of the person occupyiugthe chair, and means, substantially as described, for attaehing the said strip to the roller and to the foot-rest, for the purpose described.

.3. In an adj u'stable chair, the combination, with a stationary frame and an adjustable f rame,the adj ustable frame com prising a back portion pivoted at the rear of the stationary frame, a'foot-rest pivoted at the front portion of the stationary frame, ands linkeonneetion between the lower end of the back portion of the adjustable frame and the foot-rest, of a roller journaled at the upper end of the back portion of the adj ustablc frame, the said roller being provided with a dovetail slot and a recessed disk, 9. projection from the back portion of the adjustable frame, arranged to enter-a recess in the disk of the roller,.a flexible strip constituting the direct support for the body of the person occupying the chair,

tail slot of the roller, a second rod adapted to enter the hem at the other end of the said strip and to be removably placed in the foot rest, and means for locking the said rod in the [cow-est, for the purpose set forth.

p I). In an adjustable chair, the combination,. with a stationary frame having its upper portion formed to receive a table, and an adjustable frame, the said adjustable frame consisting of a. back portion pivoted to the'rear portion of the stationary frame, a foot-rest provided with straps pivotally receiving a, for ward portion of -the stationary framo,lconheating-bars pivotally attached to the lower part of the back portion of the adjustable frame andto the foot-rest at a point near its center, frame being provided at its 'upper'end with a. slot inone side and an aperture in theopposite side, and a projection below said aperturc,"of a. tension device consisting of a roller the trunnions whereof areadaptcd to enter the slot and the recess in the back portion of the adjustable frame, the roller being provided 'with a longitudinalslot contracted at its outer longitudinal portion, a disk secured to the said rol er, having, apertures adapted to receive a projection from the back portion of the adjustable frame, a .rod removably attached to the said foot-rest, a second'rod capable of entering he enlarged portion of the longitudinal'slot of the tension-roller, and a; strip of a flexible, material constituting a. direct support for the person occupying the chair and a. covering for a portion-of the said foot-rest, the said strip of flexible material being removablyattached to the rods in the strip, and a disk the back portion of the adjustable end to said frame and tension-rollcr-and in theIoot-rest, for the pur- I pose specified.

with a frame, of a. strip of flexible material constituting a support for a person occupying the chair, a roller mounted on the said frame and having a longitudinal slot contracted toward the surface thereof and in 4. Inan adjustable chair, the combination which is adapted to be received an end of said secured to said roller and having apertures adapted to receive a projection from the said frame, whereby the roller is held-in adjusted position, as and for the purposedes'cribed.

5. In an adjustable chair, the. combination with, the pivoted frame havingits upper (and formed with a slot and a recess; of a. roller whose trunnions are adapted to be received in said slot and recess, the said roller being provided with a longitudinal slot; a strip of flexiblematerial detachably secured at one having its other end wound around said roller and inserted in said slot, means for holding the said iatter end in said slot, and adisk secured to said'roller and provided with apertures, the frame being pro: v

vided with a projection arranged tobe inserted in-one of said apertures to hold said roller-from turning, as and for the purpose described.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. W001),

SAM EL M. Buown.

DAN E; CARTER. 

